


Zuko's Honor

by CursedLoaf



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Bisexual Sokka (Avatar), F/M, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Zuko Joins The Gaang Early (Avatar), Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-18
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-14 12:00:02
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 17,722
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29542020
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CursedLoaf/pseuds/CursedLoaf
Summary: After being banished by his father at 13, Zuko and his Uncle Iroh decide to settle down in Ba Sing Se, content to live out their lives without the drama of the Fire Nation. Now at 16, Zuko has flourished both as an apprentice of Iroh the tea guru, and the Dragon of the West. However, word of the Avatar has started to make its way around the streets of Ba Sing Se. When a young bald airbender, two siblings, and a blind girl make their way into the Jasmine Dragon, will Zuko finally regain his lost honor? And what is he to make of the young water tribe boy that sends him into awkward ramblings with a single smile?
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Sokka & Zuko (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 24
Kudos: 181





	1. Chapter 1

The sun rose calmly and determinedly through the newly rejuvenated sky, beams of light dancing off the walls of Ba Sing Se and showering the city folk in an aura of gold. Like any good firebender, the young prince rose with it, yawning and carefully stretching his arms in preparation of a new day.

"Good morning nephew," Zuko heard from the kitchen. Smiling to himself, he realized that Uncle had not been joking about tinkering with his recipe for his lemon balm tea. A customer had complained about its sweetness the day before, and Iroh had taken their snobbish insult with all of the good nature that he always seemed to be emanating. Although the firebender had tried to convince his Uncle to retire for the night, his Uncle was having none of it.

"My customers have been kind enough to share their thoughts on my tea. The least I can do is try and give them better service next time."

Zuko thought that they were just being inner walled dicks, and had made sure to give them the death glare after they had so callously insulted Iroh. This shop was his child, and Zuko would be damned before he let some prissy _noblemen_ spit all over it.

"Uncle, I'm going to train and hit the market before we open shop today. I checked after closing last night and some of our inventory seems a bit low. We're selling tea faster than I can replace it!"

Although a lie, Zuko simply hated going to the market, which was crowded and altogether had too many people, he chose to omit that detail in favor of talking up the tea shop's success. He was rewarded with a proud smile from the older man, which he returned before ducking out to practice.

Letting the light gleam off of his dual broadswords, he took a breath, collecting and centering himself, before launching into his forms. Quickly, he began to perspire from exertion, but forced his breathing to remain steady, an airbending technique he had been taught by his Uncle. Gone were the days of Zuko throwing himself headfirst into every firebending form out there. Gone were the days of his obsessive pouring over something, anything that could make him as good as Azula. It had taken an Agni Kai, a scar, and his kindhearted Uncle to teach him, but he learned how to embrace all aspects of bending, making him not only a well versed bender, but a well rounded person.

This was the mentality that Zuko kept as he began the bending portion of his early routine. Quickly pulling out some of his most valued possessions, scrolls for both water, fire, and earthbending, he began mimicking the forms drawn so passionately on the weathered papers. Although Zuko could only bend fire, he was no Avatar after all, he had long since found uses for the scrolls.

Sure, he couldn't create a water whip, but he could calm his inner fire into a hypnotic lull, and snap a long, thin flame with the ferocity of a seasoned waterbender, his limbs dancing with the flow of the form. Sure he couldn't lob boulders of concentrated earth at his targets, but he could steady himself to fire out and control a hard blast of flames, one sure to pack as much of a punch as the ground beneath him. And he found, as he focused less and less on the rage and raw anguish that he had cultivated in order to bend fire, he was able to nurture a different inner light, one made of passion and determination. Suddenly, the forms didn't seem half as frightening, with him focusing less on the technical aspects of bending, and more on the emotion that came with it. He was lucky to have even picked up some airbending techniques from his Uncle.

After the Agni Kai, Zuko had been left blind in his scarred eye, able to make out only changes in light. His hearing had also been impaired on the same side, though not as severely. At first, the prince had been a disaster, the bender caught off guard by anyone approaching him on his left side. He quickly found himself in the snares of despair, his days of being a competent warrior having come to a swift and fiery conclusion. However, thanks to the careful instruction from Iroh, Zuko was able to sense those around him in much the same way that airbenders could sense others. The difference being while airbenders relied on the changes in the air around them to see what their eyes could not, Zuko sensed the changes in heat. Suddenly, Zuko had found himself not only overcoming his disability, but surpassing what he had once done as an able boy. His eyes became a luxury, something he could use to better enjoy the world around him, not a necessity. And with his own inner fire now burning brighter than ever, the 13 year old had entered Ba Sing Se with his Uncle.

Faced with banishment, Zuko had chosen to become Iroh's disciple, in both bending and, perhaps more importantly, tea. The siren call to regain his honor still sang to him on his darker nights, but he had long ago accepted it for what it was, a siren. Why look to seek validation from a family that never wanted him? Was he ever truly happy with Ozai? Certainly not like the way he was now, both a better person and bender. Although Ozai's voice still shouted at Zuko, disavowing him for his failures, Zuko tried his hardest to ignore him.

He no longer needed his father's approval, he would remind himself. He was nothing more than a simple tea shop employee, one who was content to serve at his Uncle's side.

For 3 years, he had been able to push down all of those nasty thoughts and insecurities. His success was a source of pride for him, proof that he had conquered his demons. That is what Zuko told himself as he made his way to the bustling market. He smiled politely at the ladies, and tried his hardest not to stare at Lee, the boy who sold fresh produce. As he struggled, his father's barrage of disapproval seemed to crescendo. Bottling that up, he began to make his purchase, only to have the wind knocked out of him by the cashier's words.

"Have you heard? The Avatar has arrived in Ba Sing Se!"


	2. Chapter 2

"The Avatar has arrived in Ba Sing Se."

Zuko's heart dropped like a stone, plummeting down into the seemingly endless void of his stomach, which threatened to throw up what little he had ate before the cashier's joyful declaration. He had long reconciled with the fact that the Avatar was back, even if he could still hear his father nagging him, his voice vicious and laced with posion.

_The Avatar has returned? Don't you know what this means? It means that for once the disappointment that I dare not claim to be my son can finally regain some semblance of honor. It's been practically handed to you on a silver platter, and what do you choose to do? Go make tea with your Uncle Iroh? You have an obligation to serve the Fire Nation, and more importantly, you have an obligation to me. Don't you, you disgusting little fuckup. You lit-_

Quickly, Zuko shut down that train of thought, though panic still threatened to overwhelm him. With a sliver of a smile, the most sincere he could manage, Zuko took off running back to the Jasmine Dragon, not even bothering to grab the produce he had just purchased.

His mind was racing, his thoughts ranging from swift denial to utter despair.

 _Not the Avatar. Not here!_ His mind swirled. His safe bubble, the protective walls of Ba Sing Se, seemed to be closing in around him. The Avatar was supposed to remain no more than a story that was discussed over a cup of tea. He was something nice for people to chat about when they were unwinding from a long day. He wasn't supposed to come to Ba Sing Se.

Rushing past his Uncle, who glanced at him in concern and confusion, Zuko curled himself up in the corner of his shared room and began to rock back and forth.

He had tried so hard to escape his destiny, so hard to defy his father, and now it seemed as though the Avatar was practically taunting him. Showing up here, flaunting himself around, it was almost mocking. His father's voice grew louder, and Zuko managed to choke back a sob as he covered his head and cowered.

_An honor less coward, tucking his tail and hiding behind his Uncle. Even now too afraid to face the Avatar, the one he should have been looking for. What kind of son defies his father like this? What kind of-_

"Zuko?"

Uncle Iroh's cautious tone pierced through the cacophony of spiteful remarks. Zuko's Uncle was sitting in front of him, his worry evident on his face. His lips were pinched tightly, his eyes wide from adrenaline. His brows were pulled upward, expressing his earnest.

Throwing himself into the older man, Zuko began to sob openly, no longer able to hold back the floodgates. He was inconsolable, every attempt at comfort made by Iroh met by harsher breathing and a tight squeeze as if Zuko was afraid his Uncle would vanish. Eventually, Zuko tired, the effects of his admittedly short day catching up on him.

Locking eyes with the man, Zuko managed to whimper, "The Avatar has arrived in Ba Sing Se."

The effects of these words were instantaneous. After clutching his nephew closer to himself for a moment, to reassure both the younger boy and himself, he began to close the curtains of the Jasmine Dragon, effectively closing the place down for the day. Quickly putting water on the stove to boil, as tea would be a necessity to get Zuko through the next 24 hours, Iroh returned to his nephew, and helped him to one of the tables. Placing a blanket around him, he attempted to rub his back soothingly, all while reassuring the distraught Zuko.

"I'm so sorry Uncle, you shouldn't have to close the shop for me, I can just recuperate in our room for the day."

"Nonsense my nephew, there is nothing I'd rather be doing than what I am doing right now; spending time with you."

"But it's just- this is all so stupid! I've known about the Avatar for a long time now, and its not even like he's in the outer ring!"

"Nonsense Zuko, you have every right to express yourself in the way that you have been doing. There is no shame in letting one's defenses every once in a while, especially given a shock like this. You are handling this far better than most."

Whether or not his Uncle was simply lying to make him feel better, Zuko could not discern. However, the soothing sound of Uncle Iroh's voice alone was enough to help calm him down from his state of near panic. Taking deep breaths as his Uncle instructed, Zuko managed to quell the last round of tears that had managed to leak onto his face.

Sipping the tea that Iroh had managed to slip into his shaking hands, the young prince even managed his Uncle a small smile of gratitude, which was returned by the same muted expression.

Sighing, Zuko felt his eyes closing as his Uncle began recounting his journeys as the Dragon of the West in an attempt to distract his nephew. At least for now, his father's voice seemed to have been sated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed reading :)  
> I'm really enjoying trying to get into Zuko's headspace, and although some of his actions are different, I'm finding that his core struggles are not all that different from the show.  
> Feel free to comment suggestions for this story, as I'm very open to fresh ideas


	3. Chapter 3

With a groan, Sokka peeled himself off of the fine sheets, and instinctively began combing his hair, priming it for its customary wolf's tail. In the other room he could hear Katara and Aang chattering, something about Aang having a new lead on Appa. Katara's enthusiasm was guarded, though Aang did not seem to share such skepticism.

"-yeah and he said that he may have seen Appa on some flyer or something. He said it had to do with some kinda circus, though he couldn't remember the detai- Oh hey Sokka!" Sokka was caught off guard by Aang's cheerfulness, as the young monk had been sullen and withdrawn for weeks now, throwing himself into his work to find Appa. Not that Sokka could really blame him; Appa was Aang's one connection to his home, the other's having been torched by genocidal firebenders. Appa was Aang's only constant companion, it would be much like Sokka losing Katara after spending their entire lives with each other.

He was glad to see the airbender returning to some semblance of his free spirited self, although his good mood was quickly dampened when he saw what was on the table.

"More rice?!?! That's all we've been eating for days! You'd think that since we're traveling with the Avatar, they could spare us a bit diversified cuisine," Sokka cried, the last part being more of a mumble.

"Oh, I'm sorry! Is my cooking not up to your standards? If you want different food so bad, why don't you cook some on your own?" Katara snapped back, frustrated by her brother's consistent critique of her culinary skills, yet never contributing himself.

Miffled, Sokka took to drowning out his sorrows in his bowl of rice, chewing quickly. A loud nasally yawn echoed from behind him, signaling the awakening of the Blind Bandit.

"More rice? Man, Sugar Queen here has really been flaunting her skills in the kitchen, huh?" Toph sneered with a soft grin. The banter, however innocent in nature, set Katara into a rage.

"You know what, fine! If you're all so capable of bitching about my cooking, maybe you'd like to give it a try yourself!" she screeched at both Toph and Sokka. Although Sokka shrank further into his bowl of rice, Toph seemed to simply find amusement in Katara's words.

Ever the mediator, Aang stepped in between them.

"How about we eat out for lunch? That way we don't have to eat more rice, and no one has to be subjected to Sokka and Toph trying to create something edible?"

"He thinks he's real cute, doesn't he," Sokka grumbled. In any regard, Aang's idea seemed to quell the fighting, and Katara quickly agreed to take them all out to a nice lunch.

"But where to go?" she wondered aloud.

"No where prissy," said Toph with a hint of disgust, "Cause I if you all think that I'm gonna dress up as some goody two-shoed upperclassman, you got another thing coming your way. Most likely a hard rock your proper asses."

"I've been meaning to explore the outer ring for a while now," replied an absentminded Aang, "Maybe they'll know something about Aapa."

"Well its settled then," exclaimed Katara, "We'll hunt around in the outer ring for something to eat."

* * *

Several hours, and a careful dodging of Ju Dee later, the pack of teenagers found themselves on the outer ring of Ba Sing Se. Due to the sibling's and Aang's nontraditional attire, the gang had been getting a lot of side glances. It didn't help that Aang was absentmindedly preforming his little airbending magic trick, Sokka noted with slight contempt.

"Can we eat already," Sokka whined, "That rice did nothing to quench my hunger, and now I'm starving!" He didn't even care if he sounded petulant, not if that got him the food he so greatly required.

Katara turned to look at him in annoyance, before her face lit up.

"This place looks nice and quaint, we can eat hear!" she exclaimed.

"What does it say?" Toph asked, a little bit of annoyance creeping into her voice at not being immediately filled in.

"The Jasmine Dragon" Aang responded, taking no offense to her tone.

To Sokka, the tea shop looked insufficient for his appetite, but as his stomach rumbled once more, he relented.

"Ok, ok, lets just eat before my stomach implodes" he grumbled, making his way into the shop.

Immediately, he was greeted by an overwhelming barrage of, well, jasmine. Gold dragons danced across jasmine floors, the emerald hue of paper lanterns helped to shadow the warm little shop. Over the chatter of their patrons, Sokka could hear the boiling of tea, and could smell as it wafted its way towards his nostrils.

"Hello," said a cheery old man, "Welcome to the Jasmine Dragon! Here, have a seat and tell me what brings you here. I haven't seen your faces around here before."

Just as Sokka was about to reply, he felt Aang duck underneath him and extend his hand.

"Hi! My name's Aang, and I'm the Avatar! We just happened to be walking b-" **_Crash_**

The whole gang, with the exception of Toph, turned their heads towards the scene of the crash. A young boy around Sokka's age, with raven colored hair that encased his head stared at them in shock, before seemingly meeting the old man's eyes. Immediately, he pounced on his mess, and began cleaning it up with a fervor.

"If you'll excuse me for one minute, it appears my nephew has made a bit of a mess. You know how teenage boys are," he chuckled, smiling mischievously at Katara and Toph. 

"Hey!" Sokka began to drawl, but his caterer was already off to assist the young employee. However, upon arriving he seemed to shoo the both of them into the back room, signaling for one of his assistants to clean up the mess.

"Huh. Well that was strange," Toph declared, cocking her head slightly to the side. "That kid's heart is going a mile a minute, you think he's a fanboy or something?"

"I didn't mean to startle him," Aang moaned. "I just wanted to give that old man a compliment, you know? His shop was so good the Avatar decided to stop in it! Do you think I just made things worse?"

"I think it was an innocent mistake Aang, but maybe don't go announcing that you're the Avatar so freely," Katara offered with a small smile.

"That kid must be having a panic attack or something, well, either that or he's dying with how fast his heart is, really its a toss up," Toph butted in by proclaiming. Just as the words left her mouth, the emerald lanterns adorned above the guests exploded as the flames crescendoed into bright fireballs, the paper turning into kindling.

"The hell?!?!" Sokka shouted, as him and all the other patrons began to dash for the exit.


	4. Chapter 4

He could feel the walls closing in around him. A pounding had erupted in his head, a symphony of erratic heartbeats spurred by his rising panic.

The Avatar. The _Avatar_ had not only arrived in Ba Sing Se, but had managed to invade the one last safe space Zuko retained. The finely polished wooden tray, holding an assortment of pastries and steaming tea, slipped from his hands and landed on the wood paneled floors with a resounding crash of breaking china.

The young prince stood frozen, petrified of the teenaged monk, who had turned to stare at the source of the disturbance. Zuko felt detached from his body, as though his spirit had left in much the way the Avatar was able to desert his body in favor of the spirit world.

Just as his body was preparing to drop like a puppet with its strings cut, Zuko was able to meet the eyes of his worried Uncle. Immediately, he felt himself become corporal once more, returning to his vessel. Ducking down, as though that would hide himself from the all knowing gaze of the Avatar, Zuko began sweeping up the pastries and broken cups with his bare hands, not pausing when the sharp pieces pierced his skin, drawing out a small stream of blood, spurred on by the racing of the firebender's heart.

At once, he felt his body being guided away from his mess on the tea shop floor, away from the confused patrons, and back into Zuko's and Iroh's shared room. At once the voice of his Uncle crashed over him, speaking soft, soothing words of comfort.

"Deep breaths Zuko, just like I taught you. Remember your airbending tecn-" He was cut off by Zuko's sudden cry at the mention of airbenders, but still, Zuko found he couldn't refuse his Uncle, and began moderating his breathing.

In and out. Free like the air around him, not forced through his lungs at an unnatural rate. It must flow at its own pace, a pace determined by Zuko's careful instruction of detaching himself from his body's desires. Letting go of his cravings for a surplus of air, he found his pulse slowing, and his mind clearing.

Looking at his Uncle, he whispered brokenly,

"He's _here._ He wasn't supposed to come _here_." 

Even as his Uncle wrapped sympathetic arms around him, Zuko found he could not block out the cries of his father, and his breathing devolved into a much sharper, erratic rhythm.

_Pathetic excuse of a prince and a man. Can't listen to his father, too weak to serve his country. Even now he shies away from his duty. Even now he hides like a little bitch in the back room, cowering from a teenaged boy. What a pathetic excuse for a warrior. No wonder I burned you, no wonder you couldn't find the strength to OBEY!_

At his father's passionate declaration, Zuko let out a loud cry, curling in on himself. In perfect sync was an eruption of light from the tea shop, not unlike that of a small supernova, and the shouting of distressed patrons. Chairs were quickly thrown to the side as customers bolted for the safety of the exit.

All the while, Zuko held his head and cried.


	5. Chapter 5

"Well that was exciting" Toph remarked, making her way into the kitchen.

"I think we all learned a valuable lesson today" Katara declared, her mouth stretched slightly upward in amusment.

"And what would that be?" asked Sokka, who's stomach still cried out for any form of sustenance.

"Never complain about my cooking again!" she replied triumphantly, met with several groans of annoyance from both Sokka and Toph. Aang, who had wanted to continue his search for Aapa, had elected not to come home with them, meaning that Katara was stuck with her two overgrown toddlers.

In defeat, both sulked back to the kitchen, heels dragging as they made their way towards the kitchen.

"What the fuck do you think even happened back there?" Toph exclaimed, blind to Katara's nose wrinkling at the foul words.

"Why should I know?" Sokka replied.

"One minute we were on our way to a good lunch, (did you _see_ the meat pies they had? Practically divine I tell you!) and the next we were attacked by a bunch of paper lanterns!"

"I do have a theory as to what happened," Katara spoke carefully. "Did you see the boy who dropped the tea? He had a massive burn mark on his face! Would it be such a stretch to imagine that both the old man and the guy come from the Fire Nation, or at least one of their colonies? It would explain how he got burned, probably some training accident, and why there was a sudden explosion of fire. Toph said he was terrified, right?"

"Yeah, scared or dying" chuckled the blind girl at the memory.

"What if he wasn't some 'fanboy' as Toph put it. What if he's Fire Nation?"

"You think they're some sort of spies or something? Deep undercover and the young one just freaked at the sight of the Avatar? That jerk seems like a pretty shit spy in my opinion," Sokka piped up.

"Well he may not be hunting the Avatar. If he was trying to infiltrate Ba Sing Se, he would never have expected to interact with the Avatar, and might have freaked the second he saw them. That older guy said that he was his nephew, right? They could be conspiring to bring down the Earth Kingdom together."

"So what now?" Sokka asked. "We report them to the authorities?"

"Screw them" Toph interjected. "I say we pound some Fire Nation scum ourselves. I've been itching for a good fight ever since we fought those royal pains in the asses back in that abandoned town."

"I'm in agreement with Toph. I think we owe those jerkbenders a more personal visit" declared Sokka, excitement shining in his eyes.

"Well, let's at least wait for Aang to come back," Katara reasoned. "It's important we get his opinion as well, after all."

"Imagine Sparky's face when the damned Avatar shows up for him," Toph guffawed. "Screw Twinkle Toes' lessons for today, I'm gonna go prepare for this fight!" she announced, strutting out the back door and into the quaint garden outside. Soon, exotic fauna was uprooted as Toph commanded the earth around her. Joo Dee was going to have an a stroke.

* * *

The Jasmine Dragon was devoid of light that night, due to all of the lanterns having exploded. The two firebenders' private room had a small candle light emanating from it. According to Toph, the uncle and nephew were residing inside of it.

"Ok," said Aang, "We all know the plan. Me and Toph will storm their room, while Katara and Sokka secure the perimeter, and make sure no one gets to close to the action. We'll subdue them, get answers, put the fear of Tui and La into them, and then get out of there. Sound good?"

The pack of bloodthirsty benders, and one equally bloodthirsty warrior, nodded in agreement, and left to get into position.

Meanwhile, Zuko listened to Iroh's ragged snoring, unable to fall asleep himself. The events of the day still raged in his head, and although his father's voice had been reduced to an icy whisper, he could not shut it down completely.

In his head, he ran over basic earthbending forms that he wanted to review and implement into his firebending the next day. As a hobby, he stalked earthbending schools for inspiration. Just as his thoughts began to drift away, and sleep happily invaded, he sharply flinched. Behind the shop, he could feel the heat signature of some person.

His mind jumped to robbers, as the Jasmine Dragon had seen great success, and silently began to creep towards his broadswords. Debating whether or not to wake his Uncle, since his lack of snoring would surely tip off his attackers that they were awake, he was shocked to feel not one, but two separate heat sources over in the shop. In a panic, he put out the candle beside him, hoping in vain that the lack of flame would hide him and his Uncle, or at least give them an advantage.

Instead, all he heard was the cry of a young girl.

"His heartbeat, HE'S AWAKE!"

Sensing the two attackers charge, Zuko dropped into a defensive stance, one rooted in earthbending. Although he would have loved to use an airbending technique, airbenders tended to flee around danger, their attacking only with the intent to escape. With his Uncle behind him, and just starting to rouse himself, he needed to stand his ground with the bullheadedness of a native earthbender.

With the first attacker reaching the door, Zuko swung, first with his right to test the waters, and then with his left, a hard swing with the side of the blade, meant to dislocate the intruder's shoulder.

Dancing around the firebender, his attacker was able to dodge the consecutive blows, and called upon the tea left in the kitchen from when Zuko had had his panic attack. No longer warm, Zuko was blind to the attack until he was slapped in the face by Iroh's special peppermint blend.

The hell? What was a waterbender doing in his tea shop?

"Surrender now or prepare to get your ass kicked," the same voice from earlier commanded.

Zuko cocked his head to the side in confusion. She sounded young, _really_ young. What was she doing robbing a tea shop? He felt his blades dip momentarily, not wanting to attack some little girl. He was immediately reprimanded by way of a rock smashing into his chest.

 _Ok_ , Zuko thought to himself, _an earthbender too_.

Sheathing his swords, Zuko lashed out with a fury, finally able to implement that fire whip he had worked so hard on. Still unwilling to hurt a child, he cracked it at her feet, hoping to startle her. He let himself cultivate a small grin on his face, as the girl leapt back in shock with a cry, the vibrations stunning her. However, he stood statue still after turning to see the identity of his first attacker.

A young bald boy with arrows down his arms and head. He carried a long wooded staff, which he was currently spinning. Dressed in long orange robes, he glared at Zuko with a ferocity.

The Avatar.

With a gasp, Zuko was forced back by his Uncle, who stood protectively in front of his still in shock nephew.

"What do you think we're doing here Avatar? We're just lowly tea shop owners."

"Yeah right," scoffed a disbelieving Toph, "You're Fire Nation spies, here to help infiltrate Ba Sing Se! Well that ends _tonight_!"

With a cry, Toph leapt toward the old man, spurred forward by nothing other than raw emotion. Seemingly just as unwilling to fight a little girl as Zuko was, Iroh grabbed his nephew and dove to the side taking the brunt of the fall.

"I don't understand! We have done nothing to even associate ourselves with the Fire Nation" he gasped, the air knocked out of him.

Snapping out of his trance at the sound of his Uncle in pain, Zuko let out a roar of fire, no longer deterred from inflicting injury. Launching into an earthbending form, he swept a fiery wall at the Avatar, who just barely managed to overpower it with a hard blast of air generated from his staff.

Turning his attention to the girl, Zuko managed to weave around one, two hard balls of condensed soil that had been forcefully lobbed at him. Feeling the Avatar recover behind him, Zuko kicked up a swift line of flames, which sent the monk flying. Hearing a shout of anger, the prince was left with almost no time to acknowledge the 4th heat signature of the night, a tan skinned girl, older than the earthbender, but still younger than Zuko.

A long water whip shot towards him, and although he was able to dodge it, he was slammed to the ground by three consecutive rock blasts. His Uncle attempted to cover, only to be forzen to the wall by the new waterbending girl.

Zuko heard his Uncle gasp in pain, and felt the fight leave him.

"Wait, no, no, please! I swear we aren't working with the Fire Nation! Interrogate me if you need to, but please, _please_ don't hurt my Uncle!"

The Avatar glared at him, and for a heart stopping moment he thought that he would refuse Zuko. But the moment passed, and the Avatar signaled for Iroh to be defrosted.

Rising to his knees, he clasped his hands together, thanking them with upmost sincerity, only to have them welded together by the earth in a form of bondage.

"Get up" spat the waterbender, malice dripping from every word.

"We'll deal with your Uncle later."

Shooting Iroh one last glance, Zuko allowed himself to be lead out the door, the earthbender in front of him, and both the Avatar and waterbender behind him.

Zuko wanted to laugh at the irony of his situation, but instead chose to listen as his father's voice raged.


	6. Chapter 6

The gang and their captive quickly fell into a methodical pace. Sokka had joined them outside, and was now standing inches away from Zuko, studying him with contempt, and a small bit of curiosity.

"So how did jerkbenders like you guys end up in Ba Sing Se anyway? Sent on a mission by that hotheaded dick Ozai?"

Zuko flinched at the mention of his father, who mocked him in his thoughts. Remaining silent, he chose to study his captor instead.

They were around the same height, and probably the same age, though that's where the similarities ended. He was undeniably water tribe, a fact which seemed to resonate with him. His clothes, his weapons, the way he held himself, his hatred of the Fire Nation. Zuko feels himself blush as his eyes meets the water tribe boy, and stutters to a stop as his father's voice explodes in rage.

_Dirty little boy, I thought I already taught you your lesson. Disguising scum, freak of nature, these are the reasons you were forced to leave your home. The Fire Nation was no room for shit like you._

"What are you stopping for? Planning to escape or something?" Sokka asked with an air of annoyance.

"N-no, I'm sorry" stuttered the still recovering Zuko, quickly pressing forward.

"Do you have a heart problem or something Sparky? Cause it just exploded!" Toph called out from in front of them. 

Zuko blushed furiously.

"I think he's just scared now that he's been caught," Katara sneered.

Aang just looked curiously at Zuko's back and remained quiet while Zuko turned beet red. Thankfully, they had arrived back at the house.

"So should we tie him to a chair or something?" Sokka aksed.

"You people need to have more faith and me and my bending skills. Sparky over here ain't going anywhere!" Toph proclaimed with confidence, and Zuko was obliged to agree.

Dragging his feet, he found himself guided to a chair in the kitchen by Katara, while the others began to arrange the chairs around him in a semicircle. This was going to be a long night.

Sitting down, Katara glared at the firebender and asked, "So who are you, and don't lie because Toph can tell"

"Uh... my name is Zuko, and I'm not a spy" he chuckled nervously.

"Well he's not lying, but that does raise a hairy question."

"What are you doing here?" Aang finished.

Flinching once again at the sound of the Avatar, Zuko closed his eyes, swallowed deeply, and then turned to face him.

"I'm just here to live with my Uncle. We left the Fire Nation after we had a, er... _falling out_."

"And how did that happen? Ate one too many babies or something?" questioned Sokka, a hint of pride evident at his joke.

"No, I was banished after I disrespected Fire Lord Ozai."

That was met with silence from the gang, no one knowing how to approach that response. Finally, Toph piped up.

"Well... he's telling the truth?"

"How did you get that burn?" asked Aang.

"I was challenged to an Agni Kai after my indiscretion, a fire duel between two benders. I refused to fight, and was burned as punishment."

"Who burned you?" Katara gasped.

Sighing, Zuko thought to himself, _Well I've already come this far_.

"My father. Fire Lord Ozai," he whispered, as if the volume of his words would take the edge off of their meaning.

The entire room stared at him, before turning to Toph for confirmation. Zuko closed his eyes, knowing what he was about to hear.

"He... he's telling the truth. He really is the firelord's son."

"What kind of father tries to kill their son as a punishment?" cried Katara in shock.

"It wasn't... he wasn't... he was only trying to teach me a lesson. I spoke out so I deserved it anyway. This was the culmination of a long list of failures on my part," Zuko reassured them, though that only seemed to set them off further.

"What does that matter, it doesn't give him a right to abuse his son!" Sokka yelled, only to be met with the candles illuminating them swaying ominously.

"He didn't abuse me, he was just trying to make me a better son!" Zuko retorted, his pain thinly veiled by his anger.

"How can you defend him? You think you owe him or something?" Toph asked incredulously.

"He is my father!" fired back Zuko.

"That still doesn-"

"Enough," Aang declared, his voice resolute, and leaving no room for argument.

"He needs to go home, I'm sure his Uncle is panicking. We'll resume talking about this when we all have collected our thoughts. Toph, can you under the cuffs?" he asked, though it was more demand than question.

With a nod, they fell to the floor.

"I'm really sorry Zuko, we got ahead of ourselves on this one. Go home, we can talk about this in your shop tomorrow if you'd like. We're not mad anymore, and we never should have broken in the first place. Make sure to sincerely apologize on behalf of us for your Uncle too."

Slowly, Zuko stood up and made his way out of the kitchen, never turning his back on his captors. Grabbing hold of the door, he took one last look at them before closing it. Immediately, he turned around and ran home.


	7. Chapter 7

Zuko sat with his Uncle in the lofty halls of the Jasmine Dragon. The young prince was absentmindedly bending candle flames, as he was restless from both the events of the night, and the promise that the Avatar had made him.

"Should we run Uncle? We could probably make it out of the city by the end of the night if we only pack the bare essentials. It's not like the Avatar would have enough free time to chase after two ex Fire Nation citizens."

"I think it is important to hear out what the Avatar has to say, if not only to satisfy my curiosity. We do not appear to be in any immediate danger, and I think if we needed to, the two of us could fend for ourselves long enough to retreat."

"But... It's the _Avatar_. He's an enemy to the Fire Nation. Don't you feel some sense of shame being near him? I've already chose not to hunt him down, so why do you think I owe him anything more?"

"The Fire Nation has long since cut ties with the two of us, no matter what your father told you. He sent you on a fool's quest when you were banished, and the Avatar's sudden appearance is nothing more than simple irony. If you are to make a decision, it is important that it is chosen for you, not a nation that would sooner see you dead."

"It feels like more than irony though. I mean, he walked straight into our tea shop! Doesn't that feel less like a joke, and more like destiny shoving face first down a predetermined path?"

"Your destiny is yours alone to choose, Zuko. It belongs to no one else. In the spirit of that, I think we should hear the Avatar out, if only to make a more informed decision."

"I trust you Uncle, it's just I don't him. I've been told all my life that he's my enemy, and now he all but abducts me after attacking you. If anyone else had done something even remotely similar, I wouldn't let them still be sucking air."

"That's very kind of you Zuko, but I'm not injured. I was merely taken by surprise."

Staring at the little flame that he had no curled around his index finger like a small infant grabbing that of their parent's thumb, Zuko let out a soft sigh, allowing the fire to sink back to its source.

"I'll hear them out Uncle, if only for you. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to practice in order to clear my mind for what's to come."

* * *

Meanwhile, the group of teenagers were spread out over the floor of their living room, deep in conversation.

"What kind of person burns their own son for talking back? My dad would just put me in the corner when I was being a little shit," Sokka exclaimed.

"And the way he kept defending his father's actions, like he had been brainwashed to believe its his fault, its just asinine!" Katara cried in response.

"I thought my parents were messed up for how they treated me, but at least I new that they loved me," remarked Toph.

"I'm just glad he has his uncle," Aang chimed, "I can testify to how terrible it is to be cut off from your whole nation," he finished, tone somber.

Katara looked over at Aang in sympathy, wrapping her arms around the airbender as a show of support, missing the blush that appeared on Aang's cheeks.

"Maybe he's like Jeong Jeong," Sokka mused, "You know, still a jerkbender, but willing to give us a hand."

"Yeah, but from what I recall you telling me, you didn't break into Jeong Jeong's house, attack his uncle, and then take him prisoner," scoffed a slightly amused Toph.

Giving her the stink eye, which went entirely unnoticed, Katara began, "I don't know if he would have anyway. He may be banished, but he does seem pretty loyal to his father, or at least scared of him. Did you see his face every time we mentioned Ozai?"

"Yeah, his heart rate sped up to a mile a minute" Toph called.

Yawning, the exhaustion of the night finally catching up to him, Aang stretched and said with a sigh, "Well all we can do is talk to the guy and try and convince him. He's the best lead on a firebending teacher I've had in a long time."

Humming in agreement, the rest of the gang began to make their way to the beds, vowing to wake up early in order to give the potential instructor a pep talk.

* * *

Marching in an unsynchronized fashion, the gang of teens arrived at the doors of the Jasmine Dragon. The store was clearly closed, with the curtains having not been drawn, and the lights being off, though that could have just been due to the fact that Zuko blew them up. As they stood awkwardly, debating whether they should go in or not, they heard the sound of hot plumes of air being bent from around the back.

Before anyone could discuss, Toph took off in the direction of the sound, followed by a more apprehensive group.

The sight that met their eyes was that of an extremely focused Zuko going through a bending form, one which the gang all found weirdly familiar. With a gasp of recognition, Katara exclaimed, "That's a waterbending form!"

And indeed it was, Zuko's body flowing with the flames in a sort of dance, his limbs and fire responding in tune with one another. His eyes were closed, as he apparently was in deep concentration. Even from his distance, Aang found he could sense his even breaths, shocked at how closely they resembled that of an airbender's breathing technique. As the gaggle of teens crept closer, however, Zuko seemed to snap out of his trance.

With a cry he turned to face them, flames no longer soft and nurturing but sharp and defensive. Upon seeing who had arrived, the fire sputtered out, as Zuko's inner flame faltered in surprise.

"Oh, hello everyone," he called, trying to mask the shakiness of his voice. "I was just running through some forms to focus myself for today."

"That... that's not a firebending form," Katara exclaimed, both in shock and awe.

"Oh, yeah, that. Well, um, after I was banished, my Uncle decided to give me a more... er, _versatile_ education. I also know earthbending forms, and even a couple airbending ones. My Uncle used to be pretty big in the Fire Nation before he left with me, so he was able to learn a bit more than he maybe should have."

"Are those swords!" Sokka interrupted, seemingly enamored with the two dual broadswords that Zuko had placed off to the side.

"Yeah, I wasn't always so good at bending, so I got good at swords to make up for it. I was actually trained by Piandao, who declared me a master when I was 12." Zuko answered shyly, feeling a foreign urge to impress the boy.

"You can touch them, if you want to," he added quickly, not wanting to seem egotistical. Sokka looked like a kid in a candy store, his eyes shining as bright as a thousand stars as he skipped over to the finely crafted weapons, and began ooing and ahhing in appreciation. Once again, a familiar blush crept its way up Zuko's face.

"Ah nephew!" called Iroh, who came out with a tray full of his finest steaming tea. "I thought I heard other voices out here! I see you have found my nephew during his training. He is very dedicated to his bending and sword work."

"Might even say he's a capable _sword_ bender," chuckled Sokka with a pleased smirk.

"That's not a thing Sokka," Katara snapped, her face wrinkled in disgust towards his childlessness.

"It is too!" fired back Sokka, his hands placed firmly on his hips and his face authoritative.

Unbeknownst to the rest of the group, Zuko felt himself involuntarily gulp.

"That's not what we're even here for anyway! We're here to talk to Zuko and his uncle, not discuss whether you can swordbend!"

"Please!" exclaimed Iroh, "Call me Uncle Iroh! And come get your tea, since you were unable to have any the other day."

Zuko felt himself grin fondly at that. Of _course_ his uncle would be thinking about the comfort of his patrons, even after they broke into his house. The gang immediately ran over, swords abandoned in favor of Iroh's famous teas. Zuko allowed his thoughts to drift as he listened to Iroh explain how each tea corresponded with the different nation each teenager originated from. Aang looked like he might cry when Iroh told him that he'd found an old recipe that hadn't been destroyed in the purge of airbenders.

He was brought back to reality when he suddenly noticed the way Sokka had been staring at him, that being intently. Shifting uncomfortably, he attempted to draw attention away from himself.

"So you guys said last night that you'd be back to talk. What exactly would you like to talk about?"

"Well we've been wonder-" Katara began, only to be cut off by an enthusiastic and tea-filled Aang.

"I think you're meant to be my firebending teacher!"

Shocked, Zuko stared for a second, feeling his father's wrath at those words. Shaking his head slightly to clear his mind, he chuckled, "And why is that?"

"Well you're one of the only firebenders that hasn't tried to kill us so far, apart from that one guy in Roku's Temple, and Jeong Jeong. From what I've seen you're a capable bender, and you're just _perfect_ to teach me!"

"You know I'm Fire Nation royalty though, doesn't that bother you?"

"Not particularly," chimed Toph, "I know enough about snooty families to know your nothing like them." Her proclamation was followed with her spitting tea leaves off to the side, leaving Zuko utterly confused as to what the blind girl meant.

"It's just, I'm not involved in the war! I serve tea, I don't fight soldiers! And I _certainly_ don't train Avatars!" cried an overwhelmed Zuko. His father's voice pounded in his head, and threatened to send him into a panic attack.

Noticing the firebender's distress, Sokka reached over a hand and placed it on his arm, not moving even when Zuko flinched beneath it.

"It's okay to be scared, hell, I was when Aang first showed up. I didn't wanna leave behind everything I knew, but I also realized that this was important too. Your tea shop will still be there when you get back, as well as your uncle. I know that it must be a conflict of interest, but you have to see that this is for the greater good.

"But what about all the other people of the Fire Nation?" Zuko asked, barely able to maintain control of his breathing. You're asking me not only to go against my father, but against my people. They don't deserve to have their lives uprooted because of something the Fire Lord chose to do!"

"I've known the Fire Nation for over 100 years," Aang declared. "If there was ever a group of people with enough gravitas to survive such a change, it's them."

Looking over at his uncle, Zuko knew that if there was anyone he'd listen to, it'd be him. Glazing imploringly at the older man's face, he got his answer in a soft smile.

 _It's your destiny Zuko_ , it seemed to say.

"Okay" he said, after a long sigh. "I can't promise that I'll fight with you, but I'll train the Avatar."


	8. Chapter 8

Rising bright and early the next day, Zuko sighed, steeling his nerves for what was to come. He had gone over the basics with his Uncle after the gang had left, in order to plan for the next day. Aang had promised to be back by noon, giving Zuko plenty of time to prepare himself. Although Aang's arrival would be when the sun was at its highest, meaning both benders would be more apt to get in touch with their inner flames.

In honor of the Avatar's first firebending lesson, Zuko took to practicing only his firebending forms. They were wild and passionate pieces of art, his flames flying with a fervor. As he sped up, he began to notice that his flames became less orange, and more red. Eventually, a small swirl of color began to envelop the young prince. He took that as a sign that he was doing the right thing, as after all he was only ever able to bend colors when he truly connected with his inner fire.

"That's amazing," Aang gasped, startling Zuko. He had been so caught up in his flames that he had failed to notice the arrival of the monk.

"Where are the others," Zuko asked, feeling a twinge of disappointment that he wouldn't be seeing them. Well, one of them in particular. Clearing that thought from his mind, Zuko began to chuckle at Aang's response.

"They were going to have lunch to make up for a few days ago. Not that that was your fault... er, it was, but it's fine! If it wasn't for that, I wouldn't have a firebending teacher!" Aang backpedaled, seeing the look of embarrassment on the prince's face.

"Well anyway, it's time to start your first firebending lesson."

"Ooooh, what will we do first! Can you do that cool whip thing? Or will you teach me to breathe fire?!?!"

Taken aback by the young monk's enthusiasm, ( _ this _ was the Avatar that had haunted him for so long?) he managed to say with a smile, "We're going to work on the fundamentals of firebending; meditation and cultivating an inner flame. Only those who burn just as bright inside can hope to produce a flame."

"Wow, that sounds really wise!"

"It's what my Uncle told me after I was banished and he taught me alternative bending. You see, in the Fire Nation, we're taught the easy way to bend. To channel all our negative emotions and pour them into our flames. But doing so is like trying to sustain a fire with mere kindling, sure you can make a pretty good flame, but it'll sputter out at the first sign of fatigue. Determination, passion, these are the things that fuel a sustainable fire, and that's what I'm going to help connect you to."

Sitting with both his legs crossed, Zuko began talking Aang through his meditation, eventually able to just sit in silence and connect with his own inner flames. He could feel them stretch for the sun and flow through his whole body, enveloping him.

Snorting small puffs of flame from his nostrils nearly 45 minutes after they had begun their meditation, Zuko declared that it was time to start exercises. Drawing on his time from both Iroh and Piandao, Zuko had the Avatar on his knees from the physical labors. Smiling to himself, Zuko walked over to the panting airbender.

"Were you ever taught breathing techniques by the monks?" Zuko implored.

"Of course," Aang panted, "It was the first thing they taught us!"

"Well a great way to catch your breath is to implement some of those techniques. Let the air flow freely through your lungs, don't force it down. Also, I've found placing your hands on top of your head helps you to catch your breath."

Quickly, the Avatar obeyed, and within minutes had regulated his breathing, only a thin sheen of sweat and a flushed face alluding to his strenuous workout.

"You should probably wash up and then come back," Zuko suggested. "I'm going to have you try and hold a small flame before nightfall, and you should probably not be worn out for that."

"No, its fine!" Aang replied, quickly bending the sweat off of him, much to the awe of the prince.

"Okay then, I guess now works too," Zuko muttered, cupping his hands to support an infant flame. Although unimpressive, Aang stared at it with the adoration that one gives to a newborn.

"Now remember, to bend fire, you must match its passion on the inside, otherwise it will overwhelm you," Zuko cautioned, before cradling the flame slowly into Aang's hand. He managed to hold it for a few seconds, before it suddenly sputtered and died.

"I'm sorry!" Aang cried. "I tried to keep my inner fire burning, but it's just... the last time I bent fire, I ended up burning Katara. I don't ever want to lose control like that again!"

"It's okay, that's a well founded fear. Fire is dangerous and wild, and it takes great control in order to contain it. That's what I'm here for, to make sure that there is never a situation you can't handle. Why don't we try again, and just know that I'm here to help you through this," soothed Zuko. He himself had held a similar fear after his burning, and had to be coached out of it by his Uncle. If Iroh could do that for him, then Zuko could do that for the Avatar.

With a twitch of his fingers, Zuko lit another tongue of fire, and carefully poured it into Aang's waiting palms. The monk stared intently at it, as though it was some alien life form. After a few minutes, it was clear that his inner fire had begun to accept it, as it began flickering in a way unique to Aang and Aang alone. Every firebender's flames were unique, to match their own unique inner fire.

"That's great Aang! But I think that's enough for today. The sun is setting, and it's almost rush hour for the Jasmine Dragon. Why don't you come back same time tomorrow, and we can try and manipulate your flame, and maybe even generate one on your own."

"That sounds awesome," Aang exclaimed, his smile reaching past his eyes and crinkling his brow in jubilation. Waving goodbye to his teacher, Aang began to go over the day's lessons in his head, quivering with excitement, almost unable to wait and tell the others.

It was with a small smile that Zuko noticed he hadn't heard his father's voice all day.


	9. Chapter 9

The next few days of firebending training passed in rapid succession. Aang proved himself to be an apt learner, and by the end of the week was twirling a small flame between his fingers, much like the way he played with marbles and airbending.

The other benders and Sokka came with Aang to watch every now and then, and served as great motivators for Aang to improve. Katara specifically seemed to lift Aang's mood the most whenever she complimented him.

Sokka had approached Zuko nervously after the third day of training, and Zuko felt his heart flutter.

"Hey, I was wondering if you would maybe (and you don't have to I'm just curious) want to help me with sword fighting?" Sokka asked, his small grin at the end causing Zuko's brain to short circuit.

"Yeah that sounds great!" Zuko all but shouted in excitement, before blushing and adding in a much quieter voice, "I have to help my Uncle run our tea shop after I train Aang tomorrow, so I won't be able to spar with you until after, is that okay?"

"That sounds perfect!" Sokka exclaimed with a wide smile and awkward thumbs up.

And so it was settled, the midnight dueling club became a nightly occurrence, with Sokka awkwardly swinging his sword and Zuko giggling like a toddler at his every attempt. Sokka, much like Aang, was a fast learner, and seemed to implement some of his prior knowledge with self defense into his fighting. Having never faced any Water Tribe opponent before, Zuko found this to be riveting, and would blush too hard at physical contact to actually go hand to hand consistently.

One night after their sparring, the two simply sat in the yard, with a steaming cup of tea in each hand. Sokka told stories of growing up in the Water Tribe, and Zuko listened in earnest.

"So the first time my dad took me seal hunting, I got so excited that I forgot to watch where I was stepping, and nearly fell through the ice! Luckily my dad was able to pull to the side just in time, but for a minute I thought I was fucked. Of course drowning in ice was nothing compared to what my dad did afterwards!" Sokka rambled.

"What did he do?" asked Zuko tentatively, scared of his response.

"Oh, nothing deplorable, just yelled at me for a bit and acted all disappointed. I tell you buddy, it's one thing for a parent to get mad at their kid, and an entirely different one to be disappointed in them, you know what I mean?"

"Yes," was Zuko's simple reply.

"But enough about me, I wanna hear about what it was like growing up as royalty!"

"Oh, it wasn't that interesting. I mean, I never really saw anyone, except for my sister and her two friends. I was tutored privately, so I never had many friends."

"Damn, that sucks. Were your sister and her friends any fun?"

"Her friends were always nice enough, and I got along with Mai pretty well. Ty Lee was alright, but she just had a lot of energy and I never really knew what to do with all of it."

"Wait a minute, those name's sound familiar. Those aren't the girls who attacked us, are they? One of them took Katara's bending away, and the other threw knives!"

"Yeah, that sounds like them. The last I heard, Ty Lee ran off to the circus, but it wouldn't surprise me if Azula called her back."

"You know, I supposed that I knew Azula must have been related to you, but it's still weird to hear it said out loud. She's just so... demented, and you're... not."

Despite the lack of a real compliment, Zuko blushed madly in at the attention.

"We haven't been close since we were little. Azula was always better at bending, and that kinda drove a wedge between us. My father used to always compare us two, and pit us against each other, but I could never compare."

"You seem to be really good from what I've seen! And from our practices I can assure you that you're a force I don't want to reckon with."

"Yeah, well, I had some really good teachers."

"You're Uncle trained you in bending, right? How good is he?"

"He's called the Dragon of the West, and for good reason. He's immensely powerful, and I'm lucky to have been taught by him. He sees bending in such a different way from the rest of the Fire Nation, and he's all the more powerful for it. When I first started with him, I don't think I touched any actual firebending forms for a year. He wanted me to understand how to connect with all the elements, not just the one I could bend. Something about building a stable foundation that could cultivate my inner fire."

"Is that why you were doing waterbending forms that day when we all talked? To 'build a stable foundation'?"

"Fire isn't meant to be channeled through one specific means. Sure it's wild and passionate, but its also calm, and flows with the breeze. It's as free as the air around it, but can also stand its ground and create a lot of kickback. As a firebender, it's important for me to understand all aspects of fire, so that I can better use it. When I was first blinded, I was nearly helpless, though with my bending, I learned to feel the heat of those around me. I owe everything to my Uncle, and my bending."

"That's incredible! Is that how you were able to fight in the dark when we broke into your house?" Sokka exclaimed before grimacing, "Sorry, again, for that."

"It's fine, my Uncle laughs about it now. He feels honored to be important enough for the Avatar to break into his shop."

"That sounds like your uncle," laughed Sokka with a grin.

"Anyway, you should probably get some rest, since it's pretty late." Zuko announced. "If you want... um... you can stay here, since it's so late, and it's not the safest in the outer ring."

"No, you don't have to do that," Sokka quickly replied, "I can walk back, it wouldn't be the most dangerous thing I've done!"

"That's not reassuring, and anyway, you shouldn't have to put yourself at an unnecessary risk if you don't have to. Besides, I think my Uncle would be pissed if he knew I made you walk home at the Witching Hour."

"Well, I mean, if it's what your uncle would want, then I guess I shouldn't go against his wishes!"

"Great! I mean, yeah you probably shouldn't."

They returned to the warmth of Iroh's tea shop, and could hear the older man tinkering away at his latest recipe. Smiling to himself, Zuko directed Sokka to where he should sleep, and then awkwardly laid down next to him, determined to not blush noticeably.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm happy that you all seem to be enjoying this story! I'm not the best at dialogue, so excuse any mistakes in them. I've been reading your comments, and your suggestions have been fun to look through. I'm hoping to include some of them in the following chapters!


	10. Chapter 10

Sokka pushed the blanket he had been given off of him. He could have guessed that firebenders burned hot, but it was practically a sauna with the two of them lying in the same room. That was definitely the reason his face was so flushed. No other reason. Definitely not due to that fact that he was 3 feet away from the young prince.

He knew that he should hate Zuko, after all he was the son of the freaking _fire lord_ , but as he got to know him better and better, he found that an increasingly difficult task. Zuko wasn't like his father, or his sister for that matter. Sure he was scary good with fire, and sure he still refused to say a word against his father, but he was also helping to train the Avatar! And more than that, he had freely chosen to train Sokka, something which he had no obligation to do. Zuko had even been willing to listen to Sokka's stories of back home, something which benefited him in no way. How could a boy like that be evil?

But as those feelings of anger faded, Sokka found that he was left with something he couldn't quite place. Where before he was sure his heart pounded with rage over the audacity of the firebender, he still found that his pulse was kicked up a few notches whenever Zuko entered the room. Him and his stupid mop of hair, that so perfectly outlined his face. And _Agni_ that devilish smirk that he wore whenever the two spared had him gasping for air.

It was all very confusing to Sokka, who hadn't felt such a way since, well, since Yue. But that just didn't make sense, after all, Zuko was a guy. Sure his hair came down his neck, but that didn't change the fact that he was unmistakably a dude! And two boys just _couldn't_ feel that way about each other.

_Could they?_

Sokka had never considered this, as it had always been him and the other girls. All of the able men had been shipped away to fight in the war against the Fire Nation, so he never did have all that much interaction with boys his age.

He tried to think back further, of a time before the war had ripped the small tribe apart. As far as he knew, there had only been men and women in love. It wasn't like people said anything against same sex partners, but it just wasn't _done_.

So how could he be feeling this way for a boy, and a member of the damned _Fire Nation_ no less? Sure Zuko had been banished, but what about after the war. There were those two friends of his sister he talked about, and he had sounded fairly fond of them. And even if he wasn't into them, he was the prince! He could have his pick of any woman he wanted. Why would he settle for a boy from the Southern Water Tribe?

With that depressing thought still circulating through his head, Sokka shut his eyes and finally allowed sleep to overtake him.

* * *

This wasn't the first time, or even the second. Zuko had a long list of these... _less than desirable_ thoughts. It was the reason he had been pulled out of the all boy's school he had attended for the first few years of his education, only to be privately tutored instead. It was most likely the number one item on his long list of failures to his father, even higher than what had lead to his banishment.

A crime so unspeakable it couldn't even be punished, well, not publicly at least, lest other's find out. It was probably the reason his father had been so apt to banish him after his disgraceful actions at the Agni Kai.

When he was 10, Zuko had been found with another boy, whose name was Chey. It wouldn't have been anything significant, it most likely would have been celebrated as the young prince struggled to make connections. But there was one small thing.

 _They were holding hands_.

Zuko had never seen Chey, or any other boys his age for that matter, again. He was permitted to play with Azula's female companions, but his father made it clear on no uncertain terms the consequences of getting caught with another boy. For 2 whole years Zuko excelled at this, even if it did make him slightly miserable.

But then came the admiral's son, Meiyou. His jet black hair that was perched so eloquently in a top knot, adorned with a gold headpiece. His fiery eyes had blazed mischievously at the sight of the young prince. Although he tried his hardest to swallow his feelings, he still felt his face grow hot whenever the young man looked his way. He had squirmed in discomfort the whole night, and although he tried his hardest not to be seen, his actions did not go unnoticed by his father.

That was the first time he had ever been hurt by his father. It wasn't anything life threatening, a simple bruised cheek. But the pain sunk somewhere deep in his soul, and the lesson finally embedded itself. His father's sharp tongue was never far from his thoughts, and still lingered to this day.

No, he couldn't chase after the Water Tribe boy, he decided. It would be disguising and insulting to do so. Sokka had already been gracious enough to offer him the time of day, and this would only serve to scare him off.

He rolled to face the tanned boy, sighing sadly to himself, willing the thoughts away before curling up and falling asleep.


	11. Chapter 11

The days quickly melted into weeks, and Zuko found himself in a steady routine.

In the mornings, he would rise with the sun, practice his forms for both swords and bending, and then either assist Iroh with opening or head to the market. Occasionally, someone would show up early, namely Sokka or Aang, and would assert themselves as company while he cared out this part of his day. Today, Toph had sauntered down, claiming to be fed up with the others.

She shared stories about learning to earthbend with Iroh, who she had quickly grown fond of. He, in turn, began sharing his adventures with dragons, the source of his firebending might.

Toph also amused herself by relaying the events of her previous misadventures with the gang.

"So then Twinkle Toes finally grew a pair and actually stood up to me. I should have nabbed that staff ages ago if that was all it took! Anyway, Sokka was still stuck in a hole at this point, so I had to bend him out of it, and then drag him back to camp. He refused to talk to me for about a week after that!" she chuckled, her eyes somehow conveying a glint of mischief.

"So Sparky, how has training been going with our resident Avatar? He still a complainer, or did I help toughen him up?"

"Actually, I've found Aang to be a great student. Sure he's hit a bit of a rough patch recently, but it takes masters years to cultivate a strong inner fire," mused Zuko, feeling awkward engaging in such banter Aang's back.

"Well we don't really have years, do we? Toph sighed. "We have _a_ year, singular. Then Sozin's Comet shows up and all hell breaks loose!"

"I have faith in Aang, he has the devotion of a true firebender and Avatar," chimed Iroh, ever the optimist.

"And speak of the devil!" Toph cried. Zuko, too, had noticed a heat signature approaching the shop.

"Hey guys! Sorry I'm a bit early, we were just putting up some posters for Appa, and I happened to be here anyway!" called Aang, making his way over to the counter.

"Appa... that's your bison, right?"

"Yup, that's him," Aang replied with a slightly bittersweet tone.

"Don't worry, I'm sure you'll find him. How many places can a sky bison hide?" reassured Iroh.

Attempting to cheer up Aang's mood, though not quite knowing how to, Zuko suggested they start their meditation early. Although the monk still had a long ways too go, he had made real progress in his meditation skills.

Happily obliging, the two made their way out to the back, where they sat across from one another. Their training quickly devolved, as Aang was too focused on finding Appa.

To compensate, Zuko began teaching Aang the first firebending form, minus the actual bending. It was important for him to first have mastery over the techniques and understand where and how to apply his bending before launching into it for real. Zuko had seen too many soldiers injure themselves as a result of their haste.

The sun beginning to set, Zuko and Aang made their way back inside, so that the prince could prepare to assist his Uncle during their busiest time. Aang had left in a hurry, deciding to get the word on Appa.

The first few patrons started to flood in, and all seemed well when Zuko's routine was interrupted by an unexpected guest.

"These people are firebenders!" a boy with chestnut hair and a thin strand of straw in his mouth declared. He held one hook in each hand, and was bent into an offensive position. Slowly, Zuko snuck over to his two swords, which he liked to flash whenever patrons were giving his Uncle a hard time.

The shop had gone silent, and the patrons all stared at the threat in confusion. At the surge in attention, the intruder flushed.

"I... I saw him heating his tea!" he cried, desperately seeking approval.

"He works in a tea shop!" one of the patrons shouted incredulously.

"No! With _fire_!" exclaimed the exasperated guest. Apparently finished with the conversation, he lunged at Zuko, who had managed to grab both of his swords.

Parrying the wild attack, Zuko quickly pushed forward, wanting to put as much distance between the unhinged man and his Uncle. He had no doubt that his Uncle was capable of wiping the floor with the intruder, but the prince was unwilling to take that risk, especially when neither one could bend for fear of retribution.

He quickly found himself at an advantage, since the curvature of his blades meant that his opponent couldn't hook them away.

Parrying one final time, Zuko unleashed a whirlwind of carefully practiced attacks, knocking the intruder flat on his back. Holding his sword at a 45 degree angle towards his defeated opponent, he glared down with as much ferocity as he could muster.

"Never come near me or my Uncle again, do you understand?" Not hearing a response from the stunned boy, he shouted,

"DO YOU UNDERSTAND?!?!"

Just as he cried that, a small mobile cell appeared in front of Zuko. Out stepped two green cloaked men, who quickly grabbed the newly neutralized threat by the arms and began dragging him away.

Snapping out of his daze, the boy began to cry, "No, you don't understand! He's a firebender, why won't you listen to me?"

The Dai Lee agents paid no attention to his cries, and merely through him roughly into the back of his vehicle. Zuko stared, still panting from his fight. The boy's cries faded into the cool night as the cart slowly lumbered away.

Turning to go back inside, Zuko found that patrons had nervously resumed conversation at Iroh's encouragement. Seeing his nephew enter, Iroh smiled, and called him over to the special cup of tea he had prepared just for the hero of the hour.

"You really need to stop heating your tea," Zuko muttered, though there was humor in his tone.

* * *

The room was dark, the only source of light being a small lantern that whipped around the room, blinding the boy with each orbit. To the side stood 4 men, all chanting the same tune to their prisoner, who was bound to his chair.

"There is no war in Ba Sing Se."

"There is no war in Ba Sing Se."


	12. Chapter 12

"Tall, brown hair, and straw in his mouth?" Katara asked in disbelief.

"FUCKING JET!" Sokka screamed, a fierce pang of protectiveness shooting out from his chest and flowing towards his stomach. Zuko had been attacked, by _ Jet _ no less, and Sokka was unable to help him. Sure, Zuko was clearly capable of handling himself in sparring, but there was a difference between mock fighting and actual brawling. What if Zuko had hesitated? What if Jet had decided to play dirty?

Any number of things could have gone wrong, and Sokka found himself kicking himself for not taking care of Jet the first time. Sure murder would have been extreme, but who knows how far Jet would have taken things if Zuko hadn't overpowered him.

"Who's Jet?" Toph asked, breaking Sokka's internal tirade.

"Oh, just some rebel we used to know," came Katara's casual response, though she was clearly fighting to sound aloof.

"Uh huh, and is that why your heart sped up just now?" Toph grinned.

"Jet was Katara's  _ boyfriend _ ," Sokka jeered, his anger not overcoming his need to make fun of his sister.

"What! That's not... you're being overdramatic!" sputtered the flushed waterbender.

Zuko simply looked on in confusion.

"Oh, I'm sorry Katara, I didn't mean to hurt someone so close to you," he apologized with sincerity.

"He was  _ not _ my  _ boyfriend _ !" shouted Katara in embarrassment, he ears turning a fine shade of red, much like that of a tomato. The fountain near the group sloshed angrily in response to her outburst.

"And anyway, it doesn't matter because we are  _ supposed _ to be looking for  _ Appa _ , not discussing old enemies!"

"Don't you mean old  _ flames _ ?" Toph prodded with a sly grin.

With a huff of annoyance, Katara stormed off to hang up more posters. Having papered the entire south side of the outer ring, the gang had begun to attack the North, as well as question the locals. Zuko himself had been thrown a large stack of papers, and was traveling with Toph, who could not hang them herself.

"So Sparky, I've been meaning to ask, what's the day to day of a Fire Nation prince like? In my experience, being upper class is anything but upside."

"You're from a wealthy family?"

"My name's Toph Beifong," the blind eathbender grinned.

Zuko turned to gape at her. A  _ Beifong _ ? Teaching the  _ Avatar _ ? He didn't even know they had a daughter, much less an earthbending prodigy!

"Yeah, that's about the reaction I expected. My parent's like to seclude me and shower me with servants to care for my every whim. Got annoying after a while so I started sneaking off to participate in earthbending rumbles. That's where I met Twinkle Toes actually. Fucker cheated and stole my title. The Blind Bandit they called me. I mopped the floor with those dirt sucking thugs," she proclaimed with pride.

"You fought other benders? Aren't you-"

"Blind and incapable?"

"I was gonna say 12, why'd they let you in the front door?"

"I think they all wanted to see me knocked down a peg since I talked such big game, so it was real easy actually. But enough about me, I wanna hear about you Sparky!"

"Most of the same, my Father always thought of me as a disappointment, so I spent most of my time in the palace where I wouldn't embarrass him. My sister got out more, even had a group of friends to call her own. But she was always the better child, more ruthless, a better bender, and an all around better example of a Fire Nation citizen."

"Damn, that sucks. At least I can relate to the whole 'separated from society thing,' though that was because my parents thought that I was 'too innocent for this cruel world.' They were mad when they found out I was bending on my own, so I had to run away, but I never doubted their love for me."

"I... I'm sure my father loves me! He just isn't all that upfront in showing it. Plus, I've never done all that much to deserve it anyway!" Zuko defended, though his tone was that of misery.

"Last I checked, being his child was all the credentials you needed to have your father's love. Parents have a duty to their children, not one to set up obstacle courses for their love."

Zuko fell silent at this, his father's voice fervently denying Toph's words.

_ Earth Kingdom trash, she's just a dirty blind girl with daddy issues. Who would you rather listen too, that of the Earth Kingdom and their less advanced culture, or your father, the Firelord, who so graciously cared for you even after you failed me again and again and- _

_ 'Parents have a duty to their children, not one to set up obstacle courses for their love' _ .

Toph's words rang clear in Zuko's mind, and, for a moment, he allowed himself to doubt his father. But what if he had been wrong to send Zuko away? Then what would Zuko do? Be stuck with the knowledge that he couldn't fix the problem, that there was nothing he could do? That he would always have burned, not because of something he could change, but because of something he couldn't.

No, it was far safer to place the blame securely on himself.

"Your sister's a bitch by the way."

Toph's sudden declaration caught Zuko so off guard that he let out a surprised laugh.

"I mean it, she may be a prodigy, but she's a piss poor example of what a Fire Nation citizen should be. She's heartless, and cruel, and just the general opposite of you."

"You think that _ I'd _ make a good example for a proper citizen. Did you miss the part where I got banished?"

"Why not? You're pretty considerate of others, and you have your bending down to a tee. Even if Azula has a couple of nifty tricks, she's just projecting her frustration into her bending. You but every part of yourself into it, and that seems to be working pretty well for you."

Unsure of how to process the compliment, he simply responded, "Well I can't create lightning, that was always an Azula thing."

"And I can't bend lava, but I can still wipe the floor with you if I wanted to."

Chucking now, Zuko challenged, "Oh, you think so?"

"That sounds like a bet. I'll find the place, and we'll fight till the other drops!"

"Sounds like a plan Toph, who should we have judge>"

"I say Twinkle Toes, he's terrified of me so that should be good."

Full on belly laughing now, Zuko proposed, "How about Sokka?"

"Nah, he's too smitten with you, he'd be too busy looking at you to judge the match."

Blushing furiously, but choosing not to gratify that statement with a response, lest it open up a  _ whole _ can of worms, he simply replied, "Katara?"

"Yeah, Sugar Queen should work."

At this, she punched Zuko in the arm and grinned.


	13. Chapter 13

"Cmon Sparky, don't tell me that all that training in your backyard amounted to nothing more than some pretty dances!" Toph jeered, sweeping the floor out from underneath Zuko.

The firebender, who had been knocked on his ass previously in the match, quickly evaded with a burst of flames, propelling him skyward, before falling back down and landing roughly on the uneven territory. Quickly recovering, he punched out two twin blasts of fire, forcing Toph to create a wall of rock in front of her.

Spurred on by the sideline cheers, filled with spectators who wanted to see the earthbender defeated for once, Zuko pressed his advantage, charging and taking one massive leap fueled by his bending, nearly clearing the wall.

This turned out to be his downfall, as Zuko quickly found his legs encased in stone, and was pulled sharply to the ground. Roaring out flames in retaliation, Zuko tried to blast his way free, only for the tick layer of rock to burn his skin. Not wanting to cause any permanent damage over a petty fight, Zuko was forced to yell uncle, like so many times before.

Closing his eyes briefly, images of Azula and him sparring filled his mind. Of her ruthless methods, of the way she continued to burn him until he was begging for mercy. Of her mirthless laugh breaking through the burning pain, as well as his father's reprimands.

Toph was laughing too, he realized. But the quality of it was so different. It rang  _ soulful _ instead of cruel, like Zuko was in on the joke, not the butt of it.

But that couldn't be right, he had lost after all!

_ Could it? _

Even more surprising were her words.

"Damn Sparky, you gave me a real run for my money there! I thought you had me for a second! If you actually fought people for a bit, I might be dethroned!"

She was...  _ congratulating  _ him? And more importantly was  _ releasing  _ him?

He'd lost! Why wasn't she rubbing it in? Why wasn't she squeezing until Zuko was gasping for air.

Looking around, he could see Aang, Katara, and Sokka not only cheering for Toph, but for him. It was all just wrong.

But Zuko kind of liked it.

A sheepish smile spreading across his face, the young prince reached out to shake Toph's hand.

"Not bad for a little girl I guess," he scoffed, trying to sound aloof.

"What!?!? I sing your praises and that's what I get for it? We're so re matching once you get some more experience." she growled in both shock and anger.

"I know a great way to gain that experience," called Sokka, making his way over with his sister and the Avatar.

"I'm not fighting, I won't hurt my people."

"Didn't stop you from jerkbending at a preteen," Sokka teased.

"What! That... that's completely different," came Zuko's indignant cry. Laughing, Sokka put his arm around Zuko's shoulders and grinned at him.

"I'm just saying, you did great out there."

Zuko flushed and looked away, unable to handle Sokka so close. Misreading the expression, Sokka awkwardly removed his hand from where it rested, his heart speeding up.

From behind him, Toph giggled.

"What's your deal," Sokka shouted, embarrassed.

Shaking her head, she simply responded, "You and Sparky are the biggest numbskulls..." before looking back at Katara and Aang, who were standing side by side after Aang had unknowingly grabbed Katara's hand during the match out of fear for his friends' lives.

"Well, maybe not the biggest," she amended, rolling her eyes before charging ahead.

"The hell was that about," Sokka asked, trying to divert their conversation from the awkward ditch it had fallen in.

"I don't know, but I'm sure she'll tell us in record time," Zuko assured. After so long with Azula, Zuko had been taken aback by the little earthbender's bluntness.

He decided not to dwell on it, and instead just walked back to town.

* * *

His heart stopped, however, as Zuko got to the tea shop. Sokka stopped moving too, taken aback by shock before charging forward in a blind rage.

"So you've returned to the scene of the crime, is that it? Jet, you little shit, you come near here and I'll pound you like I should have back at the dam."

Taken by surprise, Jet had no time to react to Sokka's tackle, and hit the ground hard, the wind knocked out of him. Just as Sokka raised his fist, he wheezed,

"What the hell are you talking about, I haven't done anything!"

"Oh, so you didn't attack my friend and his uncle, and accuse them of being firebenders?"

"No, I don't know what you're on about, honest!"

"What he's 'on about' is you threatening me and my uncle, and then fighting me in front of all of our patrons," Zuko screamed, finally having snapped out of his trance.

"Who the hell are you?" was all Jet yelled back. It was so unexpected that Sokka froze, giving Jet the leverage he needed to push the Water Tribe boy off.

"What do you mean 'who the hell is he,' you attacked him!"

"I haven't attacked anyone," came Jet's candid reply.

"You lying sack of-"

"IS THAT JET," Katara screamed, running up with her canteen of water. "What's he doing here?"

"Apparently re familiarizing himself with his past crimes, cause he claims he's never seen Zuko before," Sokka quickly filled in.

"Oh what BULL! Do you honestly think  _ any _ of us will bel-"

"He's not lying Katara," Toph stated, her hand on the wall Jet was leaning against.

"So you're calling Zuko a liar?" yelled a defensive Sokka.

"No, he's telling the truth too," she replied, clearly confused.

"Then how the hel-" Katara started, only to be cut off

"They must both think they are telling the truth. We know Zuko's not lying, he has his uncle and a shop full of patrons to back him. Jet, however, has no sources. What happened after you guys fought?"

"He was taken by the Dai Lee," Zuko recalled, shuddering at the creepy secret police.

"I think I'd remember that!" Jet argued, though it was a losing battle.

"Something must be altering his memory," realized Katara, looking somewhat perplexed, but mostly horrified.

At that moment, both Smellerbe and Longshot came tearing down the alley.

"Jet, we've been looking all over for you! When'd the Dai Lee let you out?" shouted Smellerbe.

"Well I think that confirms your guy's theory," said Aang solemnly. Let's just fill them in, and then figure out our next move."

* * *

The next move was, as it turned out, to put Katara's nifty water healing magic to work.

"There's something clouding his head," she declared, her tongue stuck to her top lip in concentration. "I'm trying to clear it, but people's heads are so complicated. It's not going to be like my burned hands."

After a few more minutes of poking and prodding, Jet suddenly gasped, grabbing Katara's hands.

"I remember. I did fight that guy at the tea shop, and then they took me away," exclaimed in shock.

"Where'd they take you?" questioned Zuko.

"It was dark and wet. I heard other people there too, and there was a constant dripping of water. I think they called it Lake Laogi?"


	14. Chapter 14

Despite the horrifying implications that Jet's arresting and subsequent brainwashing brought up, Aang was in relatively good spirits. For the first time in a long time, they had a solid lead on Aapa, with Aang speculating that he had been kept there by the Dai Lee for quite some time.

Zuko, although less sure, was just happy to do anything that meant getting Jet and his death glare off of him. Now that his memories had been restored, he was once again fully convinced of his treachery, and stated just as much.

"First you save a town full of firebenders, and now you're actively working with one? Even for you guys, this is low, and kinda surprising, especially for you Katara."

Whipping around at the accusation, hair snapping behind her and eyes blazing with a fury that made Zuko flinch, she spat, "Zuko has been more trustworthy than you'll ever be! Ever since we've met him he has done nothing but help us, even after all we put him through when we first met. He's family, something I thought you would understand, since you always raved about it with those Freedom Fighters you abandoned!"

Zuko froze in shock at the declaration.

_ Family _ ?

Was that how they thought of  _ him _ ?

He was merely a teacher, someone to train the Avatar. He was a firebender, not someone they would ever accept as their own. Even among firebenders he was always too weak, too imperfect. Katara couldn't mean that!

Could she?

Before he could reply to her outburst, his vision was blocked by Sokka, who stepped protectively in front of him and spread out his arms in some form of human shield.

"Try anything, I  _ dare _ you," he growled.

In fact, the rest of the gang seemed to be in agreement, baring their teeth and squaring off against a newly rebooted Jet. It rocked Zuko to his core, but also filled him with something warm and golden.

No one had ever defended him like this, well except for Uncle, and he was unsure of how to react. It was with great embarrassment that his eyes had chosen to tear up of their own volition. He quickly blinked in order to disperse them.

Jet simply scoffed, and sauntered over to Smellerbe and Longshot, who looked equally as fond of Zuko as their leader. Weirdly enough, Zuko found that it didn't matter all that much to him. He didn't need some asshat and his sycophants' approval, and he felt ridiculous for being so discomforted by them earlier. Turning back to where the team had huddled up, he began to catch on to their conversation.

"So Jet said 'Lake Laogi,' right? So it must be under the lake," Sokka exclaimed in excitement.

"You're deductive reasoning truly terrifies me," deadpanned Katara.

"That's not important," declared Aang, "What's important is that we know where Aapa is, and we can stage a rescue mission."

"I'm inclined to agree with Twinkle Toes, but we still have one more problem to solve; manpower," replied Toph. "Obviously we're all going, but what about those clowns over there. They may be little more than oxygen guzzlers, but they can fight."

"Yeah, and Zuko! We all saw you fight Toph, you should come!" cried Aang gleefully, fire in his eyes.

Flinching, Zuko put his hands up in defense and tried to walk away.

"You guys know how I feel about fighting with the team. I said I'll train the Avatar, but I just can't fight."

"You said you didn't want to fight the Fire Nation," Sokka reasoned with a grin, "This isn't the Fire Nation buddy."

"It's just, I've... I've already let my father down by doing this much. I know it's right but it doesn't make this any easier."

"Why do you still care about him Zuko, he hurt you!" exclaimed an exasperated Aang. Many discussions had been had over Zuko's dogged loyalty towards his emperor and father, but they had never actually had the fight with Zuko.

"You don't even have a father, what would you understand?" Zuko snapped, immediately regretting his words at Aang's flinch. "I'm sorry, it's just all too real for me," he apologized.

"Why though Zuko? It clearly isn't about the fact that we're fighting your father, or else you wouldn't have helped Aang, so what is it," prodded Katara.

"Guys, maybe backoff, his heart's going really fast," Toph cautioned, and Zuko hit his breaking point.

"Because he told me to  _ capture _ the Avatar, not  _ work _ with him! Because I can't face anyone with you knowing that it would destroy all hope I have of going home! Don't you get it? I lost everything the day of that Agni Kai! I was 13, and scared, and all alone except for my Uncle. I spent days in denial, convinced my father would change his mind and come back to get me, but he never did. I dreamed about capturing the Avatar at night, of finally,  _ finally _ , getting that look of approval that he never could spare me, and of everything returning to the way it was supposed to be! Sure it was a pretty underwhelming life, but it was  _ my _ life, and now I'm just supposed to accept that I'll never get it back! I'm sorry, but I can't damn myself like that!"

And with that, Zuko stormed outside, leaving a shocked gang behind them.

"Not a word," Sokka threatened as he heard Jet scoff, before turning and chasing the firebender outside.

Finding the firebender would have been much harder were it not for the fact that he left a singing trail of anger in his wake. Sokka turned left, then right, then right again, and there Zuko was!

Curled up in an alley and sobbing, mind you, but at least Sokka had found him. After what he'd just done to Zuko he owed it to him to stay positive.

"Hey, buddy are you okay?" asked Sokka, before mentally slapping himself. Yeah, he was fan-fucking-tastic as he sat in the alley filth and cried his guts out.  _ Nice on Sokka! _

"Listen, we didn't mean to push you into something you were uncomfortable with, we just wanted someone we could trust with us," he started again, reaching his hand out to Zuko's arm, which was covering his face in a pitiful act of self preservation. On contact, Zuko unraveled like a spool of thread, and glanced up at Sokka with childlike eyes, inflamed from his tears.

"Why don't you hate me?" he whispered after a moment.

"What?!?!" Sokka cried in shock, expecting a verbal lashing, maybe a fist in the face, but certainly not  _ that _ .

"Why don't you hate me? You know what I am, I'm my father's son to a fault. Even 1000 miles away I can't bring myself to openly rebel against him. I know how you probably talk about how I could stand by him after the Agni Kai, so why don't you despise me?"

There was a lot to unpack in that statement, so Sokka settled for the lowest hanging fruit.

"How could we despise you, you're Aang's teacher! And more importantly, you're our  _ friend _ . You've done so much for us, teaching Aang, obviously, but you also sparred with me! And you helped look for Appa even though you'd never met him. Don't forget about Toph either, she was on a happiness high for  _ days  _ after that fight you two had, and that was all because of you. So, yeah, being the Firelord's son isn't the best thing that could have happened, but I don't think anyone more level headed and kind that could have survived that ordeal! You mean so much to all of us... especially me."

Tears flowed freely from Zuko's face still, but they weren't being forced out by sobs anymore. He just stared at Sokka with so much sorrow that he felt his heart break. Unable to look at his emotionally destroyed friend anymore, Sokka pulled Zuko into a fierce hug, and was met with no resistance. After a moment of inactivity, Zuko slowly brought his arms around his friend's back.

"Why didn't my father love me?" came a barely audible whisper. "You say all this, but why was I never enough? I tried so hard and all I got for it was a public lashing. I mean, it wasn't like he needed an audience, by why wasn't I good enough to be his son?"

Sokka began to run his hand through Zuko's hair and murmur quiet reassurances while he silently stewed. How dare  _ anyone _ , much less the  _ Fire Lord _ , do this to his friend. His soft, kind hearted, awkward friend who lit up whenever someone mentioned his swords. How all but chased out any patron who dared insulted his uncle's tea.

And to find out not only the horrors of Zuko's banishment, but also of the abuse that went on long before it?

Sokka was going to murder Ozai. He didn't need an Avatar state, him, his boomerang, and his collective rage would do the job well enough. But for now, he set his master plan aside and began to navigate Zuko back to where they were holed up, sure to keep a comforting hand or two around his shoulder at all times.


	15. Chapter 15

Sokka cradled Zuko the rest of the way back, and was greeted with the sight of Jet and his freedom fighters being shoved unceremoniously out the door. Zuko had stopped crying at this point, his waterworks reduced to one puffy red eye, with the other one being indistinguishable from before.

He sat down shakily at Sokka's guidance, and was surrounded by the team, though they kept a respectful distance so as not to overwhelm him. At Sokka's glare, their chorus of questions, reassurances, and jabs at Jet were swiftly cut off, replaced by a concerned silence. Eventually, Zuko managed to steady himself enough to look his friends in the eye.

"I want to help rescue Aapa. I don't know if I'll come with you, but I can help work out a plan and gather information. I was trained in stealth, and I'm willing to take that risk for you guys," he whispered, his outburst from earlier still creeping its way into his voice.

"I'm sorry I can't be of more use," he followed up by saying.

"Don't worry Zuko, you've already done more than enough, but I'll gladly have you help," Aang reassured with a small grin, which was met by one from Zuko.

"Yeah, we could use a strategist on this team Sparky, Tui and La knows we need one," Toph smirked, jabbing playfully at Sokka.

"I take great offense to that statement," he deadpanned in turn. This yielded a small laugh from Zuko, causing Sokka's heart to soar. After seeing his friend look so broken, it was good to see him in some semblance of recovery.

"Well, we should probably rest for the night," Katara declared. "We'll need our sleep for what's to come."

"I second that," yawned Sokka.

Grabbing Zuko by the arm, Sokka proceeded to walk the firebender home, telling everyone that he'd make sure Zuko got home safe.

The silence on the walk back was awkward, to say the least. Zuko seemed to finally crashed from the strain of the night, and could barely walk in a straight line. Sokka, still unsure of how to handle the night's events, had opted to stay quiet.

Zuko's words just didn't sit right with him. Had he truly believed that he was incapable of having the Avatar's friendship and love? He swallowed a lump in his throat at the memory of Zuko peering up at him like a small child, completely lost as to how Sokka didn't hate him. And that whole disturbing information dump about Ozai had Sokka wanting to hold his friend close and offer comfort, as well as tear the Fire Lord a new one.

Anyone could have guessed that the Fire Lord was bad news, but it was still such an utter shock to hear Zuko list the conditions of his return. Ozai wanted to send a  _ 13 year old boy _ to capture the _ Avatar _ . An Avatar which, by all previous accounts, would have been nearly a century old, and probably fully realized. If Zuko had chosen to chase after the Avatar, he would have been signing his death warrant. Agni knows what would have become of Zuko if Iroh hadn't been there.

What baffled Sokka the most, however, was how Zuko seemed to still eat this bullshit up. Even after his father burned him, betrayed him, and banished him over a simple  _ difference in opinion _ , Zuko still remained semi loyal to his father. He still believed the lies fed to him, even after learning all of Ozai's mistakes. It all just proved to Sokka one simple fact;

Ozai didn't deserve his son.

A son who backed every awful deed done to him, who would refuse to bear arms against him even after being forced to submit through corporal abuse, because that's what it was really. It turned out that the Fire Lord was not only a gigantic dickhead who intended to raze entire  _ kingdoms _ , he was also a child abuser who had hurt one of the most genuine and well meaning people Sokka had ever known.

But how to convince Zuko of these facts.

"You're father was wrong, you know. About anything he did to you."

Sokka immediately mentally backhanded himself because,  _ Real subtle buddy! _

Sure enough, Zuko flinched at the words, and immediately began to defend his father.

"I tried my father for a long time, I'm lucky that he took enough mercy to only banish me," he muttered bitterly.

A pregnant pause rose between the two, as Sokka carefully plotted his next words and Zuko's mind spun with cycling thoughts.

Eventually, Sokka replied, "If it were me, that spoke out against those plans and got burned, would that have been okay?"

"No!" Zuko exclaimed, sounding aghast at the thought, "It's different for me, I was supposed to act like a Fire Nation prince, something I consistently failed at. All the Agni Kai was was the culmination of my failures."

"What failures are these, exactly? You keep mentioning them and using them as evidence, but you never explain what you mean."

Instantly, Zuko shut up, a look of pain and disgust crossing his face. He swallowed nervously, before replying, "They're kinda hard to talk about, because they were the real reason my father challenged me to the Agni Kai. They weren't stupid mistakes I made in the heat of the moment, they were things about me that were... less than ideal."

"Buddy, whatever they are, I'm sure I've heard worse. I promise not to think any differently of you after you tell me them. We don't even have to tell the rest of the gang if you don't want me to. It can be our little secret."

Zuko considered this, and although he wanted to back out, he knew that Sokka would continue to pester him until his resolve broke. Sokka would hate him no matter what, so he may as well just rip the bandaid off now.

"Well first was my firebending. It was never very strong, nowhere near as good as Azula, and I embarrassed him. Even now, if he knew that I had to pull from other bending teachings to master my firebending, he would be disgusted. And that's not even the really bad stuff yet."

Sokka chose to remain quiet, but silently cursed out the Fire Lord's unbelievable expectations of Zuko. Sokka wasn't a bender, and yet he could hold his own, so why couldn't a less gifted Zuko. He held his own against the entire lot of them with only his swords and so called disappointment of a firebending talent.

"Um..." Zuko stuttered, breaking Sokka out of his train of thought, "There was also my character. I was never really all that authoritative, or at least not in the way he wanted me to be. I wanted to get to know my servants, instead of just blindly ordering them to cater to my every whim. I didn't want to spoil myself at the expense of them, and he saw that as weak. The only time I ever really got the courage to speak out was in the war room, and that ended in disaster."

For a moment, the prince pondered letting Sokka in on his deepest secret, the one only his father and him knew. But that would surely end any sympathy, however misplaced, Sokka had for him, and Zuko couldn't bare to see the look in his friend's eye when he discovered his worst crime. So instead he muttered, "And that's all there is really."

"That's it!" cried Sokka, a mixture of shock and unrelenting rage making its way into his tone.

"He was pissed because you didn't bend the way he wanted and weren't a complete spoiled dick?!?! Who does that to their child?!?!"

"My father, evidently," Zuko grumbled dryly.

"Well it doesn't matter now," Sokka declared, "Because we won't let him anywhere near you again."

Having arrived at the Jasmine Dragon, Zuko turned to face Sokka, unsure of how he would respond to this proclamation. He could feel himself blushing at the water tribe boy's stake of claim, and found himself tongue tied.

So instead, he began up the steps and asked,

"Do you want to stay the night again? It's not safe out here at night."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry its been a while, I hit a writer's block and life got busy. I'll try to update some more this weekend!

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first ever Avatar fanfic so go easy lol.  
> I'm not sure exactly where I want this to go, so I'm open to suggestions from you guys. I'll write more if you end up enjoying my writing


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